Ideas 2015

Is American Literature Too Dark for TV?

The executive producer of Masterpiece says Jane Austen works a lot better on screen than Hemingway does.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• July 4, 2015

'That's Good Enough': Words Hollywood Producers Should Never Say to Themselves

Brian Grazer has some rules for success. He hasn’t always followed them.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• July 4, 2015

The Lasting Legacy of Antonin Scalia?

The justice has redefined how the Supreme Court interprets statutes, a former Acting Solicitor General of the United States says.

• Emma Green
• July 4, 2015

Empathy: Overrated?

Be kind, show understanding, do good—but, some scientists say, don’t try to feel others’ pain.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• July 3, 2015

The ‘Deep Discomfort’ With Talking About Sexuality in a Religious Context

Can churches and synagogues and mosques draw in more Millennials by changing their teachings on gay marriage and other issues?

• Emma Green
• July 3, 2015

Pope Francis and the American Culture War

What would the pontiff say about feelings of religious persecution on the political right?

• Emma Green
• July 3, 2015

How Math Can Defeat Bullies

The mathematician John Allen Paulos marvels at his field’s counterintuitive proofs. Yet his earliest intellectual thrill was the discovery that numeracy could empower even a child.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 3, 2015

Michael Eisner to Goldie Hawn: Most Beautiful Women Can't Be Funny

The Disney CEO and the Oscar-winning actress compare notes on Hollywood.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• July 3, 2015

A Child's Future Shouldn't Hinge on Her Zip Code

Advocate Jim Steyer remembers what first sparked his desire to create an advocacy group for young people.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 3, 2015

David Petraeus on Syria, Attacking Iran, and the Threat From ISIS

The retired general and former CIA director holds forth on the Middle East.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 3, 2015

Rahm Emanuel: ‘I Am Not an Education Reformer’

The Chicago mayor just announced $200 million in school budget cuts and 1,400 staff lay-offs. What’s his plan for saving the Windy City’s public-education system?

• Emma Green
• July 3, 2015

The Saturday Night Live Theory of U.S.-Iran Relations

“I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants.”

• Kathy Gilsinan
• July 2, 2015

The Local Consequences of Citizens United

The attorneys David Boies and Theodore Olson say new rules about political spending have most affected state and local elections. What does that mean for democracy?

• Emma Green
• July 2, 2015

Get the Police to Meditate

A University of Wisconsin professor suggests that mindfulness might be one way to reduce police violence.

• Emma Green
• July 2, 2015

Common Ground on Climate Change

When billionaires Tom Steyer, a climate-change activist, and David Koch, a confirmed skeptic, met for the first time, they found a basis for conversation.

• Ronald Brownstein and National Journal
• July 2, 2015

Former NYPD Chief Ray Kelly Wants All New Cops to Get Bachelor's Degrees

The ex-commissioner, who blames minority communities for tension between police and civilians, also wants cops to try out body cameras.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 2, 2015

My Brother's Keeper, but Maybe Not My Sister's

The White House is pushing a new initiative to keep young men of color out of prison and improve their outcomes. But what about young women?

• Emma Green
• July 2, 2015

How Parents Make High-Achieving Kids Miserable

Two writers with experience teaching at elite colleges perceive an epidemic of conditional love that is damaging the ability of students to lead happy lives.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 2, 2015

Valerie Jarrett: Why Should Obama Bear the Burden of Talking About Race?

One of the president's closest advisors defends him against the charge that he has held back when addressing the subject.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• July 1, 2015

The American Dream Is Suffering, but Americans Are Satisfied: 15 Charts

A new poll reveals that although Americans think obstacles to advancement are more severe than ever, they still believe hard work can overcome them.

• Sean McCoy
• July 1, 2015